Hello, I’m Steven Walley, managing director of London Stone.  I recently returned from a trip to Budhpura where I met some of the driving forces behind the project we are supporting to create child labour free zones in Budhpura.

The project to create child labour free zones in Budhpura enjoys wide ranging support from a range of different stakeholders.  Western corporate companies like Stoneasy and London Stone, Western NGO’s, Stop Child Labour and ICN, and local NGO’s in India like Manjari and ARAVALI.  Without these multi stakeholder groups it would simply not be possible to deliver lasting change in Budhpura.  These organisation provide expertise, leverage, funds and motivation that are not always available locally.  These external groups though only tell one side of the story.  What about all the people who live within the project area, who are a part of the local community and whom this project is having a positive effect on?  To these people, Child Labour Free Zones (CLFZ)  is far more than just an ethical project, it’s their lives.